Job 29
1 Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:
A i korero tonu a Hopa i tana pepeha, i mea,
2 Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?
Aue, me i rite ki nga marama o mua, ki nga ra i tiaki ai te Atua i ahau!
3 At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.
I tiaho mai ai tana rama ki toku matenga, a na tana whakamarama i haere ai ahau i te pouri:
4 I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.
Me i pera ano me ahau i nga ra o toku taiohitanga, i te mea nei kei runga to te Atua whakaaro puku i toku teneti;
5 At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.
I te mea e noho ana ano te Kaha Rawa i ahau, a kei tetahi taha oku aku tamariki, kei tetahi taha;
6 Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.
I horoia ai oku takahanga ki te pata, a rere mai ana nga awa hinu ki ahau i roto i te kohatu!
7 When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.
I toku haerenga atu ki te kuwaha ki te pa, a whakapai ana i te nohoanga moku i te waharoa,
8 The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.
Ka kite nga taitamariki i ahau, a piri ana ratou: whakatika ana nga koroheke, tu ana ki runga;
9 The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.
Mutu pu te korero a nga tino tangata, kua kopania te ringa ki o ratou mangai;
10 The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.
Ngaro ana te reo o nga rangatira, piri ana o ratou arero ki o ratou ngao.
11 The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.
No te rongonga hoki o te taringa i ahau manaaki ana i ahau; te kitenga o te kanohi i ahau, whakaae mai ana ki aku mahi:
12 This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.
No te mea naku i whakaora te rawakore i a ia e karanga ana, te pani me te tangata hoki kahore nei ona kaiawhina.
13 The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.
I tau ki runga ki ahau te manaaki a te tangata e tata ana ki te whakangaromanga; harakoa ana i ahau te ngakau o te pouaru.
14 I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.
I kakahuria e ahau te tika, a ko tera toku kakahu: e rite ana taku whakarite whakawa he koroka, he karauna.
15 I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.
He kanohi ahau ki te matapo, he waewae ki te kopa.
16 I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.
He matua ahau ki nga rawakore: a i ata rapua e ahau te tikanga o te totohe a te tangata kihai nei ahau i mohio.
17 I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.
Wawahia ana e ahau nga kauae o te tangata kino, a takiritia mai ana e ahau tana mea pahua i roto i ona niho.
18 And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.
Katahi ahau ka mea, Tera ahau e mate i roto i toku ohanga; ka whakanuia oku ra kia rite ki te onepu te maha:
19 My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.
Ko toku pakiaka tautoro tonu ki nga wai, a i te po tau ana te tomairangi ki runga ki toku peka:
20 My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”
Ko toku kororia hou tonu i roto i ahau, a hoki ake ana te kaha o taku kopere i toku ringa.
21 Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.
I whakarongo mai nga tangata ki ahau, i tatari, whakarongo puku ana ratou i ahau e whakatakoto whakaaro ana.
22 To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.
I muri i aku kupu kore ake ratou i korero ano; maturuturu iho ana aku kupu ki runga ki a ratou.
23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.
I taria mai ahau e ratou ano ko te ua; hamama mai ana o ratou mangai ano e tatari ana ki te ua o muri.
24 If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.
Ka kata ahau ki a ratou, kihai i whakaponohia e ratou; kihai hoki ratou i whakataka i te marama o toku mata.
25 If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to those who mourned.
Naku to ratou ara i whiriwhiri, a noho ana ahau hei rangatira, noho ana hoki ahau ano he kingi i roto i te ope; i rite ahau ki te kaiwhakamarie o te hunga e tangi ana.
